"It's got a very strong Queensland feel in terms of light and subject matter," he said.

"There's a sort of nostalgic aspect to the work and the Queensland backyard is a feature there."

The artists have drawn inspiration from their communities and the local characters that call Brisbane home.

"I'm interested in the drama that exists in domestic settings and is implied rather than overt," Best said.

"The drama that's sort of going on around us and is there just below the surface of the everyday and the banal.

"That almost voyeuristic notion of looking through a window and seeing somebody doing the ironing or seeing somebody mowing a lawn in the backyard and what immediately proceeds or will follow on from that point.

"The Alfred Hitchcock movie Rear Window is a good example of that."

Candice Knobel was born in Brisbane and her paintings explore her time growing up there - from leisurely walks with her dog to landscapes on the edge of the city.

"Her work is nostalgic, it's very evocative of other times and places," Best said.

"She's used works from a lot of photographs, from places that have been really important in her life."

Simon Hooper has created fine pieces of furniture reminiscent of a bygone era.

His works includes small jewellery cases and finely carved boxes.

"Very intricate with a lot of draws, delicate work with a lot of secrets," Best said.

Local inspiration

Best's surroundings and Brisbane life are evident in his paintings.

One of his favourite pieces is of a woman travelling on a council bus through a graveyard.

"I like the mystery that's there, the suggestion of a narrative that runs through it. The surreal quality but also the reality," he said.

"It sort of raises all sorts of questions and when you sit with the painting it's pretty easy to have your imagination take you through a number of different possible scenarios."

Another painting likely to draw attention is of a man staring out a window but the perspective shows the back of his head.

"I catch the bus to and from work and invariably I end up sitting in a seat looking at the back of someone's head," Best said.

"We are so dependent on people's faces and their expressions to try and get an idea of who that person is.

"The idea of looking at the back of someone's head and trying to make those same discoveries I think is very interesting."

'Sense of discovery'

Best hopes visitors to the exhibition will be able to smile at themselves.

"It's about a sense of discovery. We like to see ourselves in things," he said.

"That sense of discovering and identifying with something creates a connection between a person and an artwork which is sort of unique and deeply personal.

"Hopefully there will be something there for everybody. I hope people come away feeling slightly fuller."

People, Places and Things opens at the Circle Gallery in West End on August 21 and will be on show until August 28.